


The World Turned Upside-Down

by Prince_And_The_Thief



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Akechi Goro Lives, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Amnesia, F/M, Good Akechi Goro, M/M, Multi, Wakaba lives!, idk what to tag this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-19
Updated: 2020-03-06
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:54:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22797385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Prince_And_The_Thief/pseuds/Prince_And_The_Thief
Summary: One day, Goro wakes up in a world of red and black, unable to remember even his own name. What will he do with the second chance of a blank slate?
Relationships: Akechi Goro & Persona 5 Protagonist, Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist, Kitagawa Yusuke/Sakura Futaba, Persona 5 Protagonist/Sakura Futaba, Sakamoto Ryuji/Takamaki Ann
Comments: 12
Kudos: 53





	1. The First Sound

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading. ^_^ Hope you enjoy! As of writing this note, the story hasn't been fully written, although I have plans and a decent amount of chapters.   
> This was inspired by a magic anon on my RP blog, which is the same as my username here. I just really liked the idea of Goro having no memories and having to re-learn who he is! He's often depicted as having a cluster B personality disorder (which means he already has an unstable sense of self), so him getting to re-define himself is always interesting to me.

Red and Black. Those were the first colors that the boy saw as he awoke. His head felt light and empty. He staggered and nearly fell to the floor beneath him, only barely catching himself. He looked down to find he had nearly tripped over a railway track. A… railway track? What was that again? He couldn’t recall. The whole location was covered in pulsating… tubes? No,  _ veins.  _ He only barely remembered what those were either, but the ominous heartbeat that echoed through the otherworldly location was unforgettable. 

_ Where am I…?  _ No matter how many times the boy searched his surroundings, he found nothing that answered his question. What about himself? He found a rectangle with rounded edges in his hand. The object was light, with a screen made of glass. The young man had a feeling he should have known what it was. A red eye design in a small square flashed, causing the thing to vibrate. Startled, he dropped the thing. 

_ Crack! _

As it fell to the ground, the glass broke. Panicked, the young man picked it back up in his trembling black hands—

Wait.

Black hands?

No, these were… he’d forgotten the word, but whatever they were, they weren’t a part of his skin. He remembered that much. 

He took the square, now with a broken screen, and looked at the eye again. Maybe if he touched it, he would find some answers? Opening it, he found some sort of program meant to help with navigating. He didn’t know how to use it, but its purpose was immediately evident; the app contained a simplified, Er… map, yes, that was the word, with a box labeled as  _ enter your destination here.  _ He tapped on that box, hoping against hope that the program would magically be able to know where he wanted to go.

It didn’t, of course, but it did have a list of destinations.  _ Ship, bank, Mementos, home— _

“Home!” He shouted, “Please, take me out of this crazy place!”

He could hear noises- crunching, slithering, bubbling- that told him he wasn’t alone here, and the boy didn’t like it. 

_ Now returning to the real world… _

A strange, mechanical voice spoke from the rectangular device. It wasn’t much comfort, nor was the dizziness that followed. 

_ You have now reached your destination. _

When the world stopped spinning around the young man, he was surrounded by noise. People walking in droves, chatting idly, the click of heels and boots on concrete, all of it feeling familiar and overwhelming at the same time. 

Uncertain of what to do from here, he searched the area. Various signs pointed in all directions, labeled with train stations. Train… he didn’t remember entirely what that was, but he had a feeling that it was connected with the thing he had tripped over in that terrifying place. That didn’t tell him where to go, however. 

Hoping that answers would come if he simply kept searching, the young man followed the direction of the busy crowd. They followed signs to a place called  _ Shibuya.  _ The name sounded familiar, but he couldn’t quite pick out a memory from the fog in his mind. 

Leaving the station, the young man was overwhelmed. This place, Shibuya, was massive. People walked in crowded droves across cluttered streets. The buildings around were so large they seemed to be trying to reach to the cloudy sky above. The young man wanted to fall to his knees and cry. With no frame of reference, he felt like the world was too impossibly vast for him. 

Still, he couldn’t give up yet. He would have to keep going- what other option was there? He certainly couldn’t think of anything. So he decided to follow his instincts. If he was anything like the others around him, then, logically, he had to have had memories too, at some point. Whatever was left of them was bound to lead him to the familiar. 

And, indeed, it did. A sweet scent wafting in the air caught his attention and drew him towards a small building. There were a few places to sit within and a barrier of sorts that separated those seats from everything behind it. There were various sweet-smelling products lined up in this odd barrier. They must have been on display, although he couldn’t quite figure out the purpose of doing so.

The scent, though, that was familiar. Yes, he had come here frequently in the past to buy food. It was cheap, close to where he worked, and of good quality. But despite knowing his logic for coming to this bakery (right, that’s what it was called), he couldn’t remember what his “work” was, nor how to actually buy things. Which was a shame, because he was quite hungry—

“Welcome! Ah, Akechi-San!” A far-too-sugary-sweet voice called out. “Akechi-San? Hello? A...Akechi-San?”

The woman behind the barrier waved in his direction. 

“O-oh! You must be referring to me,” Perhaps on instinct, he started speaking much more politely, “My apologies…”

“You look pretty confused, Akechi-San. Another big case?” 

“A...case? No, nothing like that,” He didn’t even know what a case  _ was,  _ “I’m afraid I’m a bit disoriented right now. I must have injured myself…”

He couldn’t think of a better explanation for why he could remember so little. Surely something had happened to him. 

“Oh, dear… take a seat, Akechi-San! I’ll call for the hospital.”

“N-no! That won’t be necessary,” He gulped. He was finally somewhere familiar! He didn’t want to go back to being overwhelmed again! “I’m not in any pain, so I’m sure I’ll be fine. I will take you up on your offer to sit down, though…”

“If you say so,” The woman frowned. “I’ll make you some tea, on the house.”

“You’re too kind.” He said as he took a seat. 

Really though, how often must he have come here that she immediately started worrying about him? Akechi shook his head. He had much more important things to worry about. 

Akechi started by inspecting what he had on him. He wore those black, Er, things on his hands. He started to take one off, but found that the chill he felt from doing so was intensely discomforting. That must have been why he wore them.

Next, he searched his pants pockets (not that he knew what they were called). A bunch of small, metal objects on a ring, decorated with cute plastic covers. Huh. What were those? A few small wrapped goods (these too smelled sweet. Evidently, he must have had a fondness for sweet things.), a folded rectangle sort of thing with paper and plastic inside, and a folded wad of paper labeled “READ ME.”

He would start with the paper. That had to have something useful. 

Opening it up, he found that it was a note, directed at himself. 

_ If you’re reading this, then something has gone wrong.  _

  
  
  
  



	2. Seconds and Years

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Goro Akechi finds a note that helps guide him towards answers but finds that when he solves one problem, another pops up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again!   
> Thank you all for the kudos and the comments! ^_^ I'll be updating this weekly on Wednesdays for... well, I have 5 chapters done, so at least three more weeks! Chapter 6 is a long one... comparatively, most of these early chapters are much shorter. However, these earlier chapters are more about setting up the premise, while the exposition and character interactions for the story as a whole. I'll see you next week with chapter 3!   
> Also, all of my chapter titles are song titles! (And the title itself is a song lyric). For a bit of extra fun, feel free to guess where they all come from~!

_ If you’re reading this, then something has gone wrong. _

Well, that much was painfully obvious. 

_ To help you through what is no doubt a very confusing time, I have set up a guide of sorts. The other pages in this note will tell you what to do from here. Read this table of contents to determine which guide you should be reading: _

Akechi sighed. At least his past self (at least, he assumed that was the author of the note) was a very prepared person. He would have been lost without this. But why write it in the first place? Did he know that this was going to happen? 

Goro took a sip of the tea the kind bakery owner had prepared for him. It was nice, but he almost wished for something stronger and more bitter. 

_ If you remember your foster home, read page 1. _

Well, that was a non-starter. He didn’t remember what a foster home  _ was.  _

_ If you remember the name Isshiki, read page 2. _

Isshiki… the name sounded familiar, but he couldn’t put a face to it. He moved on to the next one.

_ If you remember the metaverse navigator, read page 3. _

While he knew what that must have been referring to (it had to have been the red eye that helped him escape that hellish place from before), he couldn’t rightly say he  _ remembered _ it. 

_ If you remember your mother’s name, read page 4. _

His mother… he’d forgotten even that much. Biting his lip, he continued. 

_ Finally, if you have forgotten even your own name, read page 5. _

_ I’m sorry for leaving you to clean up my mess. I trust that once you remember, you’ll understand my actions. _

Akechi couldn’t help but feel a twinge of irritation at his past self. What could he have possibly been  _ doing  _ to leave him like this? Still, complaining would get him nowhere. He grabbed the page marked 5 and began reading. 

_ If you’ve managed to forget your own name, then quite frankly, I’m surprised you’re able to read this! I have been told that memory of skills and memories relating to self are handled by different parts of the mind, however.  _

_ So, if you’re fortunate enough to be capable of reading this, then here is what you need to know: _

_ Your name is Goro Akechi. Akechi being your family name, and Goro being your given one. _

He wasn’t sure he fully grasped the meaning of the words “family name”, but he got the impression that if someone called him Akechi, they likely weren’t close. The woman who owned this bakery must have been very kind indeed, then, to go out of her way for a patron. He would have to thank her later.

_ You were born on June 2nd, and are currently 16 years old. As of writing this, the date is August 5th, 2014. I suspect that you will be reading this on the 6th, however. _

16 years of life, gone in the blink of an eye. Goro could hardly fathom the scope of what he lost. It felt like he was walking in the dark, and someone had shone a light to reveal the deep chasm just behind. He shuddered. Even the sugary taste of the milk tea he drank didn’t calm his nerves any.

_ For medical purposes, your blood type is AB-. This is an incredibly rare blood type in Japan, so it’s critical that you know this in case of an emergency. _

This didn’t really calm him either, but he took note of it. He felt like someone else should know this, however. He was a child, so he was supposed to be under the care of an adult, right? Though he couldn’t place the origin of that logic, it made perfect sense to him. So why was he alone? 

The letter continued,

_ I’ve written down our apartment address and phone passcode below. The key that opens our apartment is marked with a black and white cat decoration. However, you shouldn’t go there yet.  _

_ Instead, take the train to Yongen-Jaya. The police will provide directions upon request. You should go to Cafe Leblanc. If you get lost, the map application on your phone will be able to guide you.  _

_ Ask for a Wakaba Issiki. The owner, Sojiro Sakura, should be able to help you from there.  _

_ And, if you’re reading this… again, I’m truly sorry.  _

Goro let out a sigh. At least he knew where to go. He shouldn’t have expected much more than the basics— how much could you really put on a one-page letter? Even so, he still felt hopelessly lost. 

He placed all of his items back into his pockets neatly, save for the rectangle. He pressed the small, round indent located on the bottom of the screen. 

_ Enter your passcode _

The device said, leaving a small array of numbers. Thankfully, his past self had given him that code! 566298. 

_ Then, this must be called a phone.  _ He nodded silently to himself. 

Just as he had been promised, there was a square icon labeled “Maps” on the screen. Good. 

“Thank you very much for the tea, ma’am, but I really must be going,” Goro stood and placed his chair back to match the others. He didn’t know why he did that. It just seemed like bad manners not to….

“Take care, Akechi-San,” She waved him goodbye. 

Getting train directions, thankfully, was just as simple as the letter said. An officer immediately gave him directions with confusion, but also noticeable excitement. He must have been well known in the area… or something along those lines. 

Goro followed the crowds and the array of colorful signs to his destination, but stopped at a new obstacle: a strange gate that blocked his path. He watched as others passed through. They placed items similar to the folded object in his pocket onto a small circle on the gate, and it let them through. 

_ I see. So that’s how it’s done. _

Like a child copying the actions of the adults around them (okay, that was exactly what he was) Goro pulled out the object and placed it onto the circle. With a  _ beep,  _ the gate opened for him, and he passed through. 

There wasn’t that much that was challenging from there, other than managing to get a seat on the train! It was so cramped that Goro scarcely felt he could  _ breathe.  _

The long train ride gave him time to think, however, and thinking only made him nervous. Who were Sojiro Sakura and Wakaba Isshiki? How did he know them? Was it always going to be like this? Like walking in complete darkness, scrambling to gather his bearings? The thought was more suffocating than the cluttered train could ever be. 


	3. Song of Forgetting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Goro meets Sojiro, who seems to recognize the boy. But Goro learns there are far more repercussions to his amnesia than he would have ever thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! I'm sorry this is late! I've been p worn out this week, and kind of forgot, haha...   
> Anyway, this is another short one, but it does give a little more context as to what Goro has been up to! :D Hope you all enjoy it!   
> I really appreciate the comments. They've been very encouraging!

A busy, yet quiet little backstreet area, best described as “middle of nowhere, Tokyo”. That was Yongen-Jaya. 

Despite this, Goro found the atmosphere of the area comforting. It simply gave off the feeling of “I’m home” to him, with its small alleyways and nearly hidden businesses. 

With how little there was, finding Cafe Leblanc was a simple task. The sign said  _ Open,  _ so Goro did just that, opening the door and walking inside.

A rush of familiar sights and scents overpowered Goro. The low lighting, the stained-glass lamps, the scent of something strong and bitter cooking… yes. Yes! He knew this place! He had been here many times, in fact! It was like a second home to Goro. 

A wave of relief washed over him, which must have been noticed by the man behind the counter. He turned to face Goro, a look of concern on his face. 

“I guess if you’ve got that look on your face, things didn’t go too well with the experiment, huh?” The familiar, gruff voice was a small comfort in the tense situation Goro had landed himself in.

Goro quickly studied the man. He was clearly middle-aged, with a receding hairline of slicked-back, dark brown hair and a wrinkled forehead. His half-lidded gray eyes had a calm, inviting aura about them. He just seemed to radiate the feeling of a mellow mentor figure who would listen to your stories and give harsh advice. Or, maybe that was what remained of Goro’s memories talking. It still was unclear. 

“Experiment?” Goro tilted his head, and held his chin in his hand, “I… I’m sorry, I don’t remember much. You’re Sakura-San, correct? I was told to ask you for Wakaba Isshiki.”

“Told? By who?” He raised an eyebrow. 

“Um… myself, I believe. I wrote a note to myself, in case something went wrong.”

“Heh, well, good to see you had  _ some  _ sense,” He hunched over the counter, “What the hell do you think you were doing, trying a thing like that on yourself?”

Goro could only stare at the floor. Sojiro sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder. 

“Guess there’s no point in asking you now…” The man pulled his hand away, “Look, just… take a seat, alright kid? Knowing Wakaba, she’ll be here in a few hours. You’re free to stay here while you wait.”

Goro took a seat at the counter. The small seats weren’t exactly the most comfortable thing in the world, but Goro could put up with that. It was going to be a long few hours if he was left with nothing but his thoughts…

“Oh, right, the new crossword came in. You used to love these things. Give it a try.”

The man passed a piece of paper to him, one covered in boxes, numbers, and hints. All at once, Goro had the feeling of being far too close to the edge of a cliff. He must have had his mouth agape or something because Sojiro’s brow furrowed. 

“You forgot how to play, didn’t you?” Sojiro seemed completely at a loss. “I… I’ll teach you. These boxes are for letters, one in each box. You figure out the answer and put it in, which gives you hints for the others. They go across and down, and you get hints for all of them. Making sense so far?”

The terms themselves were unfamiliar, but he quickly put the pieces together by watching how Sojiro gestured to various parts of the puzzle. 

“Yes, I believe I understand,” Goro answered, frowning. “I’ll do my best.”

_ It feels like life is a puzzle at the moment… Do I really want another one to solve?  _ To his surprise, he found the answer wasn’t a “no.” Perhaps he had been a curious person in the past…

Goro took a look at the hints below the puzzle:

Down:

1- where there is light, there is ___

2- The name of a famous ninja, Ishikawa _____

3- Also known as  _ Malus Domestica _ , a fruit that keeps the doctor away.

So it went on. With each hint a new layer of anxiety formed in Goro’s mind. Not a single thing on there did he recognize. 

“S-Sakura-San, I…” Goro’s voice trembled,  _ “I don’t know any of this…” _

“What?” The man’s normally half-lidded were wide open and staring at Goro. He took the puzzle, quickly looked at it, then bit his lip. “You don’t know any of these?”

“No….” 

Goro trembled. It was just a puzzle. A  _ puzzle.  _ But without the information needed to solve it, even this was beyond him. If something as simple as a puzzle was beyond him, then… just how far gone  _ was _ he? The boy’s vision blurred and his eyes began to ache. Something warm fell onto his cheek. 

“K-kid, don’t go cryin’ on me here--” 

This seemed to set the man into a panic. He quickly ran over with a napkin and started patting Goro’s back. This didn’t help Goro much- if anything, it opened the floodgates. He took the napkin and just started sobbing. 

Sojiro, despite his best efforts, seemed at a loss for what to do. 

“S-sakura-San… What should I do? I… don’t know how to do  _ anything…  _ I’m scared…” He sniffled, curling up over the table for some measure of comfort. 

“...It… it’s going to be alright, kiddo,” He still seemed at a loss for what to say, but Goro doubted that anyone would know what to do in a situation like this. “Look, Wakaba’s gonna show up soon, and we’ll figure out what to do from there. You’re not alone here. We’ll figure this out.” 

_ You’re not alone here.  _ That was exactly what he needed to hear. He couldn’t climb out of this grave he’d dug himself on his own, but… if he had some support, perhaps he’d make it out of this. Though, this left him wondering, why did he assume he would be alone? It seemed that in his memories, he had some degree of common sense left-behind-- children had parents (but not him), it was polite to push your chair back in when you left a seat, and things like that. Was Goro being alone one of those common-sense things? Or was it just an assumption he’d made, based on what little he knew? 

Goro wiped his eyes dry with his sleeve (not realizing that the napkin had been given to him for exactly that purpose) and gave Sojiro a smile. 

“Thank you,” He mumbled, “I-I apologize if I caused you a scare.” 

“Don’t worry about it,” The man smiled wryly, “I’d be cryin’ like a baby if I forgot everything too.”

Goro could only chuckle nervously. He started to relax and simply enjoy the atmosphere of the cafe, hoping it would bring back more memories. It didn’t bring back much that explained his situation, but he could remember sitting at the booths and reading a book, talking to a woman and her child, staring at files filled with information that Goro could no longer remember… the details were gone, and what remained was only vague visions of what he once was. 

As he was lost in thought, a sound brought him back to his senses.  _ Growwwlllll…  _ Goro’s face flushed pink as he realized that noise  _ definitely  _ came from him. 

“Heh, I was about to ask if you wanted something to eat,” Sojiro chuckled, “Knowing you, you probably skipped breakfast again today. I’ll make you something, and get you some coffee too. On the house.” 

“That’s the second time someone has given me something ‘on the house’, but I don’t know what that means…” Goro frowned, “Still, thank you. I really am quite famished.” 

“It means you don’t have to worry about paying for it,” Sojiro explained. 

“Pay?” He tilted his head. 

_ “Hoo boy _ … this is gonna be interesting…” 


End file.
